Taiwan Scraps $1.1B Missile Assault Boat Project

Taiwan’s navy is scrapping an NT$31.6 billion (US$1.1 billion) project to build 60 mini-missile assault boats originally aimed to boost the island’s asymmetric warfare ability against the mainland, a reversal that is expected to cost NT$200 million, Lawrence Chung reported for the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Photo Insert: Taiwan continues to scramble to bolster its defenses against the China threat.

In a statement on Monday, the navy said the project, proposed by former chief of the general staff admiral Lee Hsi-ming, was canceled because the boat design could not meet its needs against an enemy.

“The boat completed the mock tests of its [missile] platform in 2020 and the results showed that because of its smaller size, the boat’s [stability] would be affected by weather and rough seas, thus affecting the accuracy of the firing of missiles, and that is why it did not meet our combat need,” the navy statement said.

Taiwan’s defense ministry has started mass-producing home-grown Tuo Jiang-class missile corvettes to boost the island’s asymmetric warfare strength even in the wake of reports that China is building diesel Type 039D that are quieter and carry cruise missiles.

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